'American Idol' contestant from Pasadena in national spotlight after viral moment with J.J. Watt
PASADENA, Texas (KTRK) -- "American Idol" fans in the Houston area should keep their eyes peeled for Nick Connors, a Pasadena native looking to punch his ticket to Hollywood.
A true homegrown talent, Connors told ABC13 he went to Fisher Elementary, Park View Intermediate and Pasadena Memorial High School.
He lives in Nashville, Tennessee, now, but because of his voice, he has a reach that extends far beyond Music City.
On TikTok alone, he has nearly 650,000 followers and more than 3 million likes on his content, which includes Connors sharing his original music and performing covers.
But anyone who's been in Houston for at least the last decade or so might recognize him from a viral moment in 2015.
That moment is also what made former Texans star J.J. Watt one of his early followers.
Connors wowed Watt after he sang the national anthem at a Rockets game when he was 12.
"J.J. Watt was there, and he ran across the court when they were escorting me off of it, and he tapped my shoulder, and I turned around, and I had what they call a 'priceless reaction,'" Connors told ABC13. "He had tweeted about me, 'Where can I find Nick?' and I wanted to, if he ever sees this, thank him."
Connors had tonsillitis and laryngitis at the time, but that didn't stop him from receiving a high-five from Watt on the court.
WATCH: JJ Watt gives young singer surprise of his life
That wasn't Connors' first time in the spotlight as a child.
He told ABC13 that he sang the national anthem at many sporting events, including for the Texans and the Astros.
Now the young man who says he used to get in trouble for singing and dancing in pre-K is all grown up, and this Sunday, we'll see his audition in front of the "American Idol" judges.
"I just felt like whatever happened it would at least be cool to perform in front of the judges, that they would get to see who I am, especially since I've grown up listening to their music. I felt like I had a good chance of getting a golden ticket. You'll just have to see if that actually happened," Connors said.
Connors cites vocal powerhouses like Whitney Houston and Adele as inspiration. He went with the latter artist's "Easy On Me" as his audition song.
Find out if the golden ticket is his when "American Idol" airs Sunday at 7 p.m. on ABC13.
